Wow, it’s only ten days until Christmas, and I’m still in the very special process of procrastinating buying people gifts. Don’t panic, it’s my holiday tradition.
However, if you’re more organised than me and are currently waiting in a 9:00am Target conga line, then you might need a smart way to pass the time. Which brings us to today’s news stories. Here are some of the biggest headlines of this Thursday.
Parliament Is Capping Gas Prices
The Federal Parliament was officially finished for the year, but the gang is reconvening today. This is because the Labor Government has scored the support it needed in order to cap gas prices and offer a whack of folks some electric bill money.
To be specific about these numbers, the Federal Government will cap gas prices at $12 per gigajoule and provide our most vulnerable citizens $3 billion worth of power bill relief. This is a smart move as the price of electricity is predicted to skyrocket by 20% this financial year. Moreover, it’s expected to go up a further 30% the year after that.
France Beat Morocco in the World Cup Semi-Finals
In some excellent news for France, this country smashed Morocco in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals. Less than ten minutes in, the French Theo Hernandez scored a goal. Then, in the 79th minute of the game, Randal Kolo Muani scored another with his first kick of the game.
Morrocco are the first ever African team to make it to a World Cup semi final and had not conceded a goal during the entire tournament before this game. In the end, France defeated Morocco, two — nil.
France will now play Argentina, who beat Croatia 3-0 on Wednesday, in the finals. This match is taking place on December 19 at a gnarly 2:00am AEDT.
Related: Germany Protested FIFA’s Ban on LGBTQIA+ Armbands
Related: Not Just a Game — How the FIFA World Cup is Influencing Global Politics
Victorian Macaw Saved By Beaut Firefighters
It’s a bit of a cliché for a cat to get stuck in a tree and need to be rescued by some firefighters. However, it’s a nice twist on a classic if it’s instead a macaw that needs saving.
On December 11, a macaw named Bruce escaped from his owner Miletta Lee in the VIC town of Maldon. Bruce got out of his cage, flew into some trees, and only then realised that he messed up. Unfortunately, Bruce is still a youngster learning to fly. He knows how to fly upwards but is yet to learn how to descend.
Enter Maldon’s Fire Rescue Victoria team. These legends brought a truck with a 37-metre-high bucket to get to the top of his tree. Fire Rescue Victoria took Lee up in said bucket, and she then was able to snatch Bruce out of the claws of disaster.
Lee has reflected on this experience by saying, “I’m just so thankful to have him back.”
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